Hill of Squandered Valour: The Battle for Spion Kop, 1900

by Ron Lock

Overview

The Battle of Spion Kop was fought during the campaign to relieve Ladysmith, South Africa, after the Boers of the Transvaal and Orange Free State had gotten a jump on the British Empire and besieged a British army in the town. It was the single bloodiest episode in the campaign, as well as a harbinger of the bitter and desperate fighting still to come in the Second Boer War.

Spion Kop, just northeast of Ladysmith, was the largest hill in the region, being over 1,400 feet high, and it lay almost exactly at the center of the Boer line. If the British could capture this position and bring artillery to the hill they would then command the flanks of the surrounding Boer positions.

On the night of 23 January 1900, a large British force under Major General Edward Woodgate was dispatched to secure the height, with Lt. Colonel Alexander Thorneycroft selected to lead the initial assault. However, the Boers refused to give up the position and a bitter two days of fighting ensued. In the initial darkness the British mistakenly entrenched at the center of the hill instead of the crest, and suffered horribly from Boer marksmen clinging to the periphery. Suffering badly themselves, the Boers were finally inclined to admit defeat when they discovered that the British had retreated, leaving behind their many dead. Yet, in light of the devastation wrought on both sides, the British were finally able to rally and relieve Ladysmith four weeks later.

Ron Lock, esteemed author of many Zulu warfare histories, brings to life this bitter and previously overlooked campaign in vivid and complete detail, with supporting sources including then-journalist Winston Churchill’s battle report, as well as many previously unpublished illustrations and 6 newly commissioned maps. His account will be valuable to both historians and strategists wanting to better understand this difficult and devastating conflict.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781612000077
Publisher:	Casemate Publishers
Publication date:	10/25/2011
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Ron Lock is an esteemed author of many Zulu warfare histories. He lives in Kwazulu-Natal where he has been a guide to the historical battlefields of the province for over fifteen years.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments 7

Introduction 9

Chapter 1 Reassessing The Foe 13

Chapter 2 15,000 Horsemen Descend 29

Chapter 3 The Armoured Train 45

Chapter 4 Colenso 51

Chapter 5 Inside Ladysmith?Ready To Sally Forth 81

Chapter 6 Churchill Returns 89

Chapter 7 The Generals Converge 93

Chapter 8 Inside Ladysmith?The Fight For The Platrand 113

Chapter 9 Potgieter's Drift 131

Chapter 10 Inside Ladysmith?Death's Waiting Room 147

Chapter 11 Trichard's Drift 151

Chapter 12 Spion Kop 165

Chapter 13 Ladysmith Relieved 209

Epilogue 215

Bibliography 221

Endnotes 225

Index 233

What People are Saying About This

Tony Scott

... a wonderful addition to the bookshelves not only of enthusiasts in the Anglo-Boer War but anybody with an interest in military history. (Guild of Battlefield Guides Member Tony Scott)

Editorial Reviews

"...an excellent read, well researched and incisive in his handling of the various protagonists involved. He succeeds in offering a fresh perspective"

Al Venter

Ron Lock’s well-researched book brings to life this bitter and somewhat overlooked battle in vivid and complete detail…This account will be valuable to both historians and armchair generals wanting a better understanding of this difficult and devastating conflict.

Military Modelcraft International

…well written, easy to read, and focuses on the British perspective of the battles involved and included much about the action and leadership of the Boers. It provided good focused context for anyone with ancestors involved with this campaign.

FGS FORUM - Paul Milner

…a boon to anyone seeking a better understanding of the Boer War’s intricacies, follies, ironies and pathos

Toy Solder & Model Figure

… a wonderful addition to the bookshelves not only of enthusiasts in the Anglo-Boer War but anybody with an interest in military history.

Guild of Battlefield Guides - Tony Scott

…Ron Lock has done his homework in compiling this history…nicely presented…Highly recommended

MiniatureWargaming.Com

…well written, easy to read, and focuses on the British perspective of the battles involved and included much about the action and leadership of the Boers. It provided good focused context for anyone with ancestors involved with this campaign.

FGS FORUM Paul Milner

…a boon to anyone seeking a better understanding of the Boer War’s intricacies, follies, ironies and pathos

Toy Soldier and Model Figure Magazine

…Ron Lock has done his homework in compiling this history…nicely presented…Highly recommended

Miniature WARGAMING

… a wonderful addition to the bookshelves not only of enthusiasts in the Anglo-Boer War but anybody with an interest in military history.

Guild of Battlefield Guides Member Tony Scott

…well written, easy to read, and focuses on the British perspective of the battles involved and included much about the action and leadership of the Boers. It provided good focused context for anyone with ancestors involved with this campaign.
— Paul Milner

FGS Forum

…a boon to anyone seeking a better understanding of the Boer War's intricacies, follies, ironies and pathos

Toy Soldier and Model Figure